Accepting the Tides
by learningtowrite1996
Summary: Tony dragged Peter from the depths of despair after May's death. It was normal that he'd grown to care a little about the him, right? Well, okay, he freaking loved the kid. So naturally, when Richard Parker pops into Peter's life out of nowhere Tony is a little concerned. Because if Richard hurts his kid, Tony's gonna give him absolute hell.


"So are you like – _happy,_ Peter?"

Peter stopped walking in the middle of the crowded hallway. He turned to his best friend and raised his eyebrows. "Um, come again dude?"

Ned shrugged his shoulders. "Like are you happy? With Mr. Stark?"

Peter was confused. They'd just been talking about how Tony was letting him come to California with him for the weekend. Where had this come from? "Well, yeah. We have a good time. Why?"

Ned leaned up against a locker. "I dunno. You guys seem to get along super well. I just wonder sometimes. Cause you know you aren't much of a talker."

With a jerk of the head, Peter gestured for them to continue down the hallway. He smirked a little at Ned. "What do you mean? I talk all the time!"

"Not about important things."

Peter didn't answer because he knew that was pretty true. He did keep most deep things to himself now. It was just too hard to even think about them. Talking would be even worse. He found if he just kept busy, functioning was much easier. And Tony was super good at keeping Peter busy.

"I know man," Peter sighed. "I'm sorry. It's not you. It's just easier to – ya know – build legos with you instead of talk about my dead aunt."

Ned flinched at the harsh wording. "I know. We can talk about whatever you want. As long as you talk to someone."

"I talk to Tony. Sometimes."

Ned squinted at that, but Peter didn't falter because it really was mostly true. They did talk a lot. Tony must have picked up a parenting book or something because he was great about keeping Peter healthy – mentally and physically. He made Peter talk when Peter went quiet. He didn't let him sleep all day. He made him eat. He took him out on boats and let him drive in his cool cars and train with the Avengers. Honestly, it really couldn't have turned out much better after May dying. It was the best the situation could get.

But still. Ned's question began to weigh heavily on Peter's mind. It had been eight months since May died. The dark hole that had grown in Peter's stomach the day he'd lost the person he cared about most in the world had been shrinking every now and again. But Peter didn't see it going away completely in the near future. He actually didn't think it would ever go away.

They arrived in their first period together with Ned glancing at Peter warily. Throughout the teacher's lecture Peter couldn't help think over and over – _Are you_ happy _, Peter?_

"So this time you're actually going to wear sunscreen because I'm not taking home a lobster again. That was so embarrassing. For me."

Peter rolled his eyes at Tony but willingly caught the blue bottle that he threw across the room. He packed it in his suitcase, knowing he wouldn't actually put it on.

"I'd rather be a lobster than put sunscreen on. Sunscreen sucks ass."

Tony moved further into Peter's room and observed what he was packing. "Nice language. How does it suck that bad drama queen?"

"Because," said Peter, placing a couple pairs of socks in the outer pocket. "It takes forever to dry and sometimes it gets in my eyes. And it makes the sand stick to me more. Gross."

"Rough life." Tony remarked teasingly. "Too much beach going for you, huh?"

"Yeah, way too much for me." Peter retorted. It was all completely sarcastic and Tony knew it. Peter loved the ocean. He loved it _so_ much and Tony had noticed. He'd been drawn to it a lot as a child. Sometimes he had ridden the ferry just because. Of course, he and May hadn't had the money to ever travel somewhere they could actually swim. And they had never been out on a nice boat. But in the last eight months Tony saw how happy the ocean made Peter and made every effort he could to take the kid on adventures to it.

Peter really liked California. Tony had taken him there for the first time a few months ago and it was hard to drag Peter away. It hadn't been difficult to get him to agree to the trip this weekend at all – even if it was for a Stark Industries event.

Once Peter started zipping up his suitcase Tony came and clapped him on the shoulder. "Cool. Wheels up in ten, kay?"

Peter nodded. "Kay. Did you get my suit?"

"It's already hung up in the jet. I'll go find Happy and we'll head out."

Peter watched his now-guardian walk out of his bedroom, not letting himself think of Ned's question any longer. He told himself it would just have to be another thing he buried deep inside.

The flight to California was long but smooth. Peter was quiet. Tony tried not to be too worried about that because it was about a 50/50 chance that Peter would talk while traveling. Sometimes the kid felt like it and sometimes he didn't. But he did have that pinched look on his face right now. The face that said he was thinking hard about something.

And so Tony worried.

Worry. Parental worry. Something so foreign that Tony thought he would never feel in his lifetime. Yet here he was with a boy just a month shy of his sixteenth birthday. He was bringing him to California. He took care of him. He made sure the kid had his suit on the plane, ate good food, got good grades, and didn't watch bad shows on Netflix. He easily took care of whatever Peter needed and more.

And damn did Tony _love_ it.

There was just something so – _healing_ about being needed. It kept Tony going. And honestly, he really loved having the kid around too. He was an _awesome_ kid. Sometimes he did get a little snotty or fired up. But most of the time he was simple and sweet. He got excited about super small things. His eyes shone when Tony took him out sailing or even just watched a movie with him. He loved being around the Avengers and they all loved him. Everyone did. It was impossible not to. Hell, Tony had already admitted to himself that he really did love the kid.

Something in him hated that he'd found so much happiness out of a terrible situation. Ideally, May Parker would still be alive and Peter would have the aunt that he loved so much in his life. But they had made the best of what had happened – and for Tony it was probably much better for him than it had been for Peter.

"Okay kiddie. Stay out of the limelight as much as you can, okay? To them you're just the intern so that shouldn't be too hard."

Peter nodded sharply as they ascended the vast steps up to the mansion where the event was being held. He could easily already hear the loud people behind the front doors. No doubt there would be a million people snapping pictures, pleading for a comment from Tony. Peter knew the drill mostly by now. He'd been to several events with Tony. They weren't his favorite things in the world. But it was what Tony did and Peter didn't really like to be alone, so he went. Plus, to the world he was nothing more than an intern that Tony liked. Peter usually just kept to himself and a soda until Tony was done socializing. It wasn't too bad. Plus he liked seeing all the insanely rich people and wearing his own fancy suit. He never had much of a reason to wear it otherwise.

Tony placed his hand on the back of Peter's neck. "You good?"

"Yeah – yeah. Totally good."

Tony smiled. "Yeah. You're a good kid." Peter beamed. "Let's go."

Happy pulled on Peter's forearm before the doors opened. He placed Peter slightly behind himself to make sure he could easily slip into the crowds and away from Tony once they arrived. In half a second Peter watched Tony's face go from normal to charismatic business man the second the doors opened. He smiled slightly in admiration and allowed himself to be pushed away from the two men by Happy. A couple reporters came up to Peter, asking questions but he just smiled politely and walked past.

Peter grabbed something to drink and settled himself against the back wall of the mansion's front room. He watched, amused, as Tony made his way through the crowds of people, answering their questions so easily. The whole goal of the event was to get people more on board with a few of Tony's ideas and the man was clearly selling it well.

Every few minutes Tony or Happy would turn to where Peter was on the back wall and make eye contact with him. They communicated silently that everything was good, and Peter was fine. And he really was. Well, the room was a little stifling, some people were staring, and he did still feel that pit in his stomach a lot. But he was Tony Stark's kid now. Tony, who had done so much for him and had cared so much. The least he could do was not whine about going to a fancy party.

Then there that question came again.

 _Are you_ happy _Peter?_

Peter shook his head quickly, as if trying to boot the thought out. He looked out the window, seeing the moon shining down on the long front steps and throughout the gardens. It looked nice out there. The weather always felt wonderful in California. Surely Tony and Happy wouldn't mind if he stepped out for some air. Just for a moment.

Carefully he maneuvered himself through the many people and slipped out the doors. He'd told himself he wouldn't go far, but his heightened senses heard the water crashing against the shore just beyond the trees and he couldn't help himself.

The spring air was warm and smelled like salt. Peter breathed in deeply.

 _A month. That's how long he'd been without May. He had been living in his worst nightmare for an entire month._

 _And yet here he was, on a freaking million dollar sailboat off of Manhattan with Tony freaking Stark. It was a little past nine at night, and the sky was like pure ink. They had set out around dusk to see the sunset and now found themselves unable to stop staring at the sky._

 _It was dangerous for Peter to lay in one place for too long, because then he thought and remembered. He remembered that day, the smell and whiteness of the hospital room._

 _So he focused on the black sky instead. He focused on counting each star that shone brightly out on the water. He breathed in the ocean air._

 _The boat rocked a little as Tony got up to sit closer to Peter. He draped an arm around the teenager's shoulders._

" _You cold at all?"_

 _Peter shook his head._

" _Yeah. It_ is _a nice night." He was using that voice. The non-sarcastic, serious one that Peter knew was reserved for only him._

 _He didn't answer. He'd been talkative a little at the beginning of the trip, but he wore out a lot easier now._

" _I think I know why you like the ocean so much."_

 _Peter's eyes snapped up to Tony's. "Yeah?" He nearly whispered. "Why?"_

" _Because it's been a constant in your life. It's just something that's always there. Something beautiful and comforting. Your whole life you've been able to walk out on the pier or the beach and clear your thoughts. It has always been there."_

 _Slowly, Peter nodded. Tony wasn't wrong._

" _So that makes two constants in your life." Tony finished. Huh? Peter raised his eyebrows at him._

" _Um," Peter licked his lips. "Two?"_

" _Yeah. Two. Not trying to be overly cheesy here kid, because you know I hate that. But just so you know –_ I'm _going to be a constant in your life."_

 _Peter blinked._

 _Tony continued. "I know kids need security, and I need you to know that you have that. You're secure. You can stay with me for as long as you want. Hell, you could be living in the basement when you're thirty. I won't mind. I care about you, and that's how it's going to be now."_

 _Speechless, Peter nodded. He snaked his arms around his new friend and buried his face in his shoulder. Shakily he said, "I – I don't know how I could ever thank you, Mr. Stark."_

 _Tony tightened his grip. "You don't have to. And gosh, call me Tony."_

"Headed for the shore, kid?"

Peter snapped out of his memories with a jolt. The voice behind him was deep and hit Peter like a brick. He whirled around, defensive.

A man stood on the path a few yards behind Peter. He raised his large hands in a mock surrender. "Hey, it's all right. You're Peter, right?"

Feeling a hot flash of fear, Peter nodded. He had no idea which media source this guy was from. "What do you want?" Peter asked hoarsely.

The man raised his eyebrows in surprise. "You don't need to be wary of me, Peter. I'm not with the press or anything. I actually just came here tonight to see you."

Peter took a small step back. "Yeah? Do I know you?"

The man nodded carefully. "Actually, you do. And I know you – really well actually." He chuckled.

Peter started hurriedly taking in the man's features. Dark brown hair, dark eyes, thick eyebrows and a muscular build. He was a head taller than Peter and had pursed lips. There were lines under his eyes and no smile lines at the creases. His hairline was the same as Peter's.

And with a pang he realized that he had seen that hairline before. He had seen that face. He'd seen that smile. In photos and videos and foggy memories. Peter let out a sharp gasp as the realization hit.

The man stepped closer and Peter still backed away. He stared up in confused and slightly fearful wonder.

"Hey, Peter. I'm Richard Parker. Sorry it's been a while, kiddo."

Well _shit._


End file.
